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Yesterday morning, the Evening Mail joined South Lakeland District Council enforcement officer Mark Harris and PCSO Janine Wade on patrol around the town.

PCSO Wade said: “Dog fouling is one of the constant complaints we receive, it is a constant gripe with people.

“People are just fed up of it, and rightly so.

“We are happy to help SLDC as much as we can, we’ve always got our fine books on us.

“We’ve met a lot of responsible dog owners this morning and I’m sure they will let others know that we were here and to pass the message on.”

Dozens of dog walkers were stopped and checked for poo bags during the patrol, which took in Hoad Lane, St Mary’s Church yard and Church Walk, as well as the area known as the Honeypot estate

All produced bags and they were given leaflets outlining the fines for dog fouling, as well as a form to anonymously report those responsible for dog fouling.

Mr Harris said despite not catching anyone, the patrol had been a success.

He said: “Everybody we stopped offered a dog poo bag once asked, some even turned out their pockets to show us.

“I’d say it’s been a good morning. It’s always positive when people take a leaflet off us. The ones who take a leaflet off you are on your side, whereas the ones who won’t accept one we suspect are the culprits.”

Mr Harris patrols Ulverston on a daily basis, varying his times and locations to try and catch irresponsible owners.

He said: “If people have any information about dog fouling then we would ask that they pass it on to us. Eventually we’ll catch the people responsible.

“I think certain areas of the town are getting better, but there are still people letting their dog mess without clearing it up.”

Have your say

Don't forget the park - there's always heaps of the stuff! Just yesterday, somebody allowed their dog to dump in the children's playground then left it. Disgusting.

Posted by Shadow on
4 May 2012 at 09:01

I must admit my initial reaction was shock, but on reflection I think asking people politely whether they've got bags is a great idea. I'm all for it. It's a great step in the right direction. Now, we just have to take account of unaccompanied dogs.

Well done SLDC. Please keep it up indefinitely; just spacing out the visits as the problem disappears but never announce that you've stopped.